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Does it really make a difference if the Democrats are in or the Republicans? Rhetorical as it may be – it’s been on my mind the closer Election Day gets.

On November 3, New Yorkers will cast their ballot and decide who will sit in the prized seat of Mayor of New York City. The two vying for the throne are — drum roll, please — the current mayor, Emperor Mike Bloomberg, who has sat in the chair for eight years, extending term limits by disregarding the voice of the people, and Comptroller William Thompson, who has sat in his counting house as Comptroller of the City for the past two terms.

Each has proclaimed that they and they alone will accomplish what the other has not. Bloomberg’s commercials and incessant automated phone calls tout his achievements with the educational system and not much else. Thompson’s supporters tout what he will do with the educational system once he gets in, and not much else. However, when you take a long, hard look at what each has actually done — well, they’ve done some. But some ain’t much.

Several years ago, when the MTA workers went out on strike and contract negotiations stalled, Emperor Bloomberg decreed ‘Arbitration’ — whatever the decision of the arbitrator would be binding and set in stone. Arbitration ruled in favor of the MTA Board, workers had to cough up additional sums for medical benefits, the Union had to pony up major money for fines enacted by the Taylor law and then Union President Roger Toussiant cooled his heels in a cell but Arbitration was binding and that was that.

Three years have come and gone, the Union has a new president and again the contract was up for negotiation. In good faith, the Union entered into Arbitration. The Arbitrator weighed the issues and decided, this time in favor of the workers – awarding employees an 11 percent raise (over the next three years) and a rollback on the medical benefits program.

BUT WAIT, what once was set in stone, according to Emperor Bloomberg, now appears to be unset, and the bigwigs over at the MTA Board, on which the Emperor has a seat, is now appealing the binding decision fighting it in court.

What’s up, Mike? Is it binding or not?

How much of a joke has politics become in the City of New York? For years, comics have slung mud at the state of corruption in Chicago, but looking at our own city, I think we’re way out in front leaving Mayor Daley’s City sputtering in its own puddle. Our Mayor, the Emperor, changes laws on a whim. Money talks and B-S walks, as the saying goes.

In New York, Democrat, Republican, Liberal or Independent, all have agendas, except none appear to have anything to do with the well-being or opinions of us, the citizens.